Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo
The main entrance
50°07′01″N14°24′22″E
Date opened	September 28, 1931
Location	U Trojského zámku 3/120, Troja,Prague 7,Prague,17100,Czech Republic
Land area	58 hectares (140 acres)
No.of animals	5049 (December 2018)
No.of species	676 (December 2018)
Memberships	EAZA,WAZA,IZEA
Website	zoopraha.cz/

Prague Zoological Garden(Czech:Zoologická zahrada hl. m. Prahy) is azooinPrague,Czech Republic.It was opened in 1931 with the goal to "advance the study of zoology, protect wildlife, and educate the public" in the district ofTrojain the north of Prague. In 2013, the zoo occupied 58 hectares (140 acres) with 50 hectares (120 acres)in use for exhibits, and housed around 5,000 animals from 676 species, including 132 species listed asthreatened.

The zoo is rated as the seventh best zoo in the world byForbes Travel Guidein 2007,and is rated as the fifth best in the world byTripAdvisor.

The zoo has contributed significantly to savingPrzewalski's horse;for many years, it was the leading breeder of the subspecies. The zoo director isMiroslav Bobek.

History

The idea for a zoological garden in Prague was first proposed in 1881 in a newspaper article by Count Sweerts-Spork, on the occasion of the marriage ofCrown Prince Rudolf of AustriaandPrincess Stéphanie of Belgium.

Giraffeexposition

In 1919, at a meeting of the advisory board for mathematics and natural sciences at the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment, a committee was established to start the preparatory work on the establishment of the zoo. The zoo was opened to the public on 28 September 1931 by the founding directorJiří Janda.

In 1938, the first artificially bredAndean condorin the world was hatched and reared, and the first artificially bredpolar bear,a female named Ilun, followed in 1942. In 1959 Dr.Zdeněk Veselovskýwas appointed as director of the zoo. Under his leadership, the zoo achieved some world-class successes in the area of breeding and scientific research.

In 1971 a new pavilion opened for large mammals, includingelephants,hipposandrhinos,followed by abig catpavilion in 1991.

In 2001 the first artificial breeding of aPrzewalski's Horsein the world took place at the zoo.

Komodo dragonwith keeper Jan Janošek in Prague Zoo. Prague Zoo is leading breeder of Komodo dragons in captivity.

In 2002 Prague sufferedthe worst floodsin its history. A large part of the zoo was flooded and 134 animals died, including an elephant, a lion, a gorilla, and four hippopotamuses. Abrown fur sealnamed Gaston swam theVltavaandElberivers to DresdonGermany,where Gaston died of exhaustion or injury.Gaston was memorialized with a statue in the Prague Zoo.However, thanks to a big wave of solidarity and donations, Prague Zoo greatly flourished in the next decade.

In 2004 the country's largest and most expensive animal pavilion, named the "Indonesian Jungle", was opened, and the firstWestern gorillawas born in Czech Republic, named Moja. This was followed in 2007 by the first breeding of aKomodo dragonin Prague Zoo.In 2009 a new exhibition forbrown fur sealswas opened, with an enlarged swimming pool and a grandstand. The following year saw aTexas tortoisebred in Europe for the first time.

In 2011 Moja, a western gorilla famous from the multimedia projectThe Revealed,was moved toCabarceno Natural Parkin Spain. Four Przewalski's horses were transported toMongoliato be released into the wild as part ofReturn of the Wild Horsesreintroduction and in situ conservation project.

In 2012 the zoo saw its highest number of babies born, numbering 1,557 from 211 species, including the world's first breeding of thecrowned river turtleand therufous-cheeked laughingthrush,as well as Prague Zoo's first breeding of thered panda. In 2013 a large new Elephant Valley pavilion was introduced and the first elephant was born in Prague Zoo, named Sita.The zoo was floodedin June the same year for a second time, but most animals were evacuated in time.

In 2014, a pavilion was opened for 33critically endangeredChinese giant salamanders,including three adults. The collection features the largest of such salamanders in Europe.

After 13 years of waiting, the zoo is among the three unique zoos in the world, which have a breeding pair ofLesser Antillean iguana.

In 2023, the Zoo saw the first birth of a Chinese Pangolin in captivity. The pangolin was born in February and weighed in at 135 grams. The birth gives hope that the creature can be rescued from its current status on the endangered species list.

Gallery

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  Fur seal'sexposition
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  Africaclosely
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  Polar bear
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  Sumatran tiger
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  Western lowland gorilla
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  Cheetah
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  Addax
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  Hippopotamus
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  Przewalski's horse
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  Southern Cassowary
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  Chilean flamingo
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  Sitatunga
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  Hooded vulture
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  Humboldt penguin
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  Bison
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  Gharial
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  Brown hyena
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  Radegastsculpture in Prague Zoo
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  A small zootram
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  The Zoochairlift(opened in 1977)
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  Lion
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  A Peacock
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  Bush dog
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  Gaston the seal

External links

• Official website
• Prague Zooonzooinstitutes.com